Assessment of Conjunctival Flora and Optimal Ocular Sterilization Technique Prior to Cataract Surgery Using Intranasal Mupirocin Ointment

Bacterial endophthalmitis is a rare but devastating complication of intraocular surgery. Given the devastating ocular sequelae of endophthalmitis, one cannot underestimate the need to develop a sterilization strategy which most effectively prevents intraocular infection. The most common organisms causing bacterial postoperative endophthalmitis are gram-positive cocci, particularly coagulase-negative staphylococci and Staphylococcus Aureus. It is thought that the most common sources of bacterial contamination predisposing to endophthalmitis are the eyelids and conjunctiva (Ariyasu).

The two main techniques used to reduce the bacterial flora on the ocular surface include treatment of the ocular surface with topical antibiotics prior to surgery and the instillation of 5% povidone-iodine during the prep immediately prior to beginning the surgical procedure (Speaker). Mupirocin ointment is a logical choice for surgical prophylaxis as it has been reported that mupirocin treatment applied to the nose resulted in elimination rates (of S. Aureus from the nares) of 91% directly after therapy (Doebbeling). Use of mupirocin ointment applied to the nares prior to eye surgery resulted in a significant decrease in the bacterial load on the conjunctiva at the time of surgery (Alexandrou, in press). Using mupirocin ointment directly to the conjunctiva, in addition to standard ocular sterilization techniques, may result in an even greater decrease in conjunctival flora prior to eye surgery.